Little Traverse Bay Watershed Protection Plan

Little Traverse Bay Watershed is at an important crossroads. On one road lies the degraded water quality that will result if past abuses are left uncorrected and the development predicted for this region occurs without attention to reducing polluted runoff and protecting shorelines. On the other road lies the opportunity to unite the community in an effort to implement a results-oriented plan that recommends tangible actions to ensure healthy waters. We hope that the Little Traverse Bay Watershed Protection Plan provides the map to ensure that the waters of the Little Traverse Bay Watershed will be enhanced, restored, and protected for generations to come.

The overarching goal of the Little Traverse Bay Watershed Protection Plan is to protect and enhance the water quality and ecosystem integrity of Little Traverse Bay and its tributaries in a way that ensures all designated uses and attributes are restored, enhanced, and protected. The Advisory Committee developed a list of attributes that describe a healthy Little Traverse Bay Watershed, which includes:

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Adequate public access to lakes and streams

Educated public regarding benefits of clean water to economy & quality of life

Protected native flora and fauna and the ecosystems upon which they depend

Little Traverse Bay Watershed Protection Plan - 2007-2012 and BeyondLittle Traverse Bay has been a focal point of human activity in Northern Michigan for hundreds of years. The rich waters and land that comprise the Little Traverse Bay Watershed have provided sustenance, timber, mineral resources, fish, transportation, electricity...and are now the backbone of a thriving resort and tourism economy. The purpose of the Little Traverse Bay Watershed Protection Plan is to ensure that the Watershed will be protected, enhanced, and restored for generations to come.